Hello my crafty friends! How are you doing this week? Are you making anything new or are you finishing your current project? I have no time for sewing right now because my partner broke his shoulder and I need to take care of him, but I thought it would be nice to show you how to add a magnetic snap closure to any make! In my opinion they are a must have hardware if you are sewing bags, purses, wallets and other smaller items or are just about to start your sewing journey and want to learn some new skill. They are super easy to install and you do not need any fancy tools, plus are fairy inexpensive and available in various sizes and colours.
There are different types of magnetic snaps available on the market such us: sew-in snaps, hidden snaps and decorative sew-in snaps, but today I will show you how I install the most common type – magnetic snaps with prongs and washers.
Supplies needed:
To install magnetic snaps you will need:
- full set of magnetic closure that consist of four parts: male and female snaps plus two washers
- a fusible fleece, lightweight interfacing or heavyweight foam stabilizer
- pen or tailor’s chalk to mark the snap placement
- small scissors or retractable blade to cut the opening in the fabric
- fabric pieces where you want to install the snap closure.
Note: for this tutorial I will show you how I add the magnetic snap closure on the slip pocket with a flap. To make the closure functional you need to install one piece of of the magnetic snap on the underside part of the flap (the side that is not visible from outside), the other snap must be installed on the external side of the slip pocket.
Installing the magnetic snap closure
Take your magnetic snap closure and separate the pieces.
Depending on the project you are making you may need to fuse or sew-in interfacing or stabilizer to the wrong side of the fabric first. Check the cutting and interfacing section of the sewing instructions.
If your pattern does not call for any interfacing it is still best to interface at least the area where the magnetic snap will be added so transfer the magnetic snap placement from the pattern piece, alternatively use the information in the sewing instructions or your own preference and fuse a small piece of interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric.
Place the magnetic snap washer on top of the dot and mark the fabric where the prongs of the snap will be pushed through.
Using a small scissors or retractable blade knife, cut through prong placement marks. You could use a seam ripper if you prefer, but be careful not to cut the fabric further then intended. Use a pin to stop the seam ripper sliding too far.
TIP: Always make the opening a bit smaller than the lines. The fabric will stretch to make room for the prongs, but if you make the holes too big the snap will be too loose.
Optional: add small amount of Fray stop glue to the cuts.
Take the “male” snap and from the right side of the fabric push both prongs through the slits.
If you used a foam stabilizer, insert the washer over the prongs and bend them in opposite direction. When only lightweight interfacing is applied insert a small piece of stabilizer or fleece over the prongs before inserting a washer to add more stability and strength.
Cover the entire snap area with some fusible interfacing to protect the external fabric from damage and finish the flap per the sewing instructions of the pattern.
Repeat the process to install the “female” part of the magnetic snap and finish your project following the rest of steps in the pattern instructions.
Now you will be able to add a magnetic snap to any project!
Monika
